Dancing in the Flames
by Aradien
Summary: A simple brawl in the Great Maw leads to an unforeseen attraction between a certain ninja and a fiery Organization member. /Yuxel/.


_**D**__a__**n**__c__**i**__n__**g **__i__**n **__t__**h**__e__** F**__l__**a**__m__**e**__s_

_Aradien_

_Axel / Yuffie_

_**ChI: Inexplicable**_

Yuffie Kisaragi was not entirely sure was drew her to the Great Maw in the first place or why she was constantly gravitating towards it bleak enigma like a moth drawn towards the flame.

Few knew of her inexplicable penchant – save for Leon who, after all, was cautiously aware of all her antics – and lately it had been dangerously bordering an obsession. Regardless, it would be futile for her to try and explain her motives because they eluded even her. Of one thing, however, she was fairly certain…

She was not alone.

Though she was laying on her back near the center of the crater, her back accustomed to its course surface, she only faintly noticed a blur of black and red steal past her. Grinning inwardly, she cooed, "It's nice to see you, Axel."

The swirl of colors paused in mid-flight, his back bending slightly from inertia before he slowly turned to meet her amused gaze. "Likewise, Yuffie." He replied with a dazzling smile. Feeling a bit windswept after his arrival, she returned the gesture in a softer degree.

For a few moments, there was no communication between them. Axel listlessly ran a hand through the back of his fiery mane of hair as Yuffie stared pensively ahead of her. It would be hard to conclude which of the two began this ritual, and, seeing that neither of them actually arranged these meetings, it would be considerably more difficult to decipher why.

"So…" intoned Axel brusquely, sauntering towards her without any haste. "What's on the agenda for today?"

Yuffie flashed him a wide grin. "Nothing, as usual."

"Good." He said firmly, crossing his arms loosely over his chest. A light breeze whispered through the ankle-length black coat that he, like the other members of the former Organization XIII, illogically insisted on wearing at all times. "I prefer improvising."

"Say, are you up for a spar?" she put in, sitting up and looking at the red-head questioningly.

"Seriously? You want to spar?" he said, attempting to cover his excitement, yet failing. He threw open his arms, as though about to accept an embrace, and two flaming chakrams appeared in his gloved hands. "Try not to disappoint me."

"Hold on," she snapped, causing his mood to dim by a few watts. "We haven't even mentioned winnings."

"Winnings? Come on, Yuff, we both know who's going to win… I'll be content with you just humoring me by trying your best." He replied gloatingly, spinning one of his deadly weapons idly. The crackle of flames caused her to suppress a shudder.

"Well, I'm not that shallow." She said snidely. Axel chuckled at the ninja's confidence.

"Fine. What would you like?"

"Hm…." Yuffie placed a finger on her lips. "I want…" she began. "You to somehow acquire and give me Cloud's sunglasses."

"Cloud? Is this a friend of yours?" he scoffed.

"You could say that…" she said innocently, lifting herself and her massive shuriken from the floor.

"Well, then, you've got a deal, short stuff." He laughed outrightly at the deathglare his reference evoked.

"Don't you _ever _call me that again, hotshot!" she screamed, lunging towards him with her weapon upraised. He smirked before casually twirling his chakrams infront of him. Yuffie dug her heels into the ground just before a wall of flames appeared before her. Laughter an octave short of maniacal resonated from its producer. Yuffie frowned as she flipped backwards in expectation of his next attack.

Axel, like she had assumed, suddenly leapt through the scorching veil with a weapon-carrying arm poised across his chest. Yuffie flung her body sideways, bracing herself with her palm and knee, before bringing down her shuriken on his back as he flew past her. He stifled what sounded oddly like a yelp as he landed on all fours nearly six yards away.

"You're actually alert today. That's _nice_." He hissed, ricocheting himself from the floor towards her. Yuffie issued a small squeal as he brushed past her, mercilessly clamping onto her wrists, making her drop her weapon out of reflex, and dragging her roughly into the air with him. His chakrams had mysteriously vanished.

"You're not prone to motion sickness are you?" Yuffie gulped at this inquest. Unsurprisingly, he began to spin while maintaining a firm hold on her wrists. It did not take long for her to regret ever mentioning her little issue to the outlandish man or, for that matter, having encouraged this brawl in the first place. Already, she felt her organs contracting and her head was drawing to a crazed blank.

"Had enough?" he drawled. Yuffie growled, her ninja demeanor returning with the onslaught of rage. Curling herself into a ball, she kicked out brutally, landing the blow directly on his gut. She swallowed her dizziness and instead focused on executing a perfect landing, one which she was sure would have brought her much praise.

Locating her shuriken proved to be slightly more difficult than she had expected, considering that the grey, gnarled earth was ideal for camouflaging a metal weapon. Finally, though, a familiar glint of light caught her eye just as Axel, who had recoiled from the blow she had delivered, began to descend upon her. Desperately, she began to run towards her weapon with her breathing coming out in gasps. She heard the unnerving crackle of chakrams being summoned from the oblivion and began running impossibly faster.

He was closing in on her now, on the ridiculously easy target that she was. He was preparing to bring this battle to a close, she knew. It was this thought that inspired her to dive and close the remaining space between her and her final hope. The moment her fingers curled around the comforting handle of the shuriken, she rolled onto her back and unthinkingly slashed whatever was infront of her. To her surprise, she unintentionally had stabbed one of its blades through a chakram.

Smiling in spite of herself, she twisted her weapon – effectively knocking Axel's from his hand. Without hesitation, she slashed in the other direction, catching the remaining chakram and pulling it from his grasp before bringing her skuriken under his throat.

With ragged breathes, she drawled, "I win, hotshot. Got it memorized?"

"How…" he murmured, incredulously staring at the scantily clad teen glowering up at him. Appearing to have resigned himself to the truth, he sighed, "I have to hand it to you, Yuffie… you don't quit easily."

"Perseverance is one of my emblem traits." She informed, sticking out her tongue in order to counter her eloquence. "Now," she lowered her weapon from its precarious location. "About my prize…"

"Just show me who this Cloud girl is and I'll get you those sunglasses." He said with an uninterested wave of his hand.

Yuffie let out a peal of laughter as she sat herself up. "Girl? Who ever said Cloud was a girl?"

Axel rolled his emerald eyes. "Girl. Boy. Whatever… I never considered a cloud to be anything more than a shapeless puff of white."

With a giggle, she beckoned him to follow her with one hand. "Come with me."

Axel did so wordlessly.

…………………………………………………………………

**Author's Note: For some reason, I don't think Cloud will hand over his sunglasses too easily… (snickers). **

**For clarification purposes, this fic takes place after KH2. Cloud has returned to Radiant Garden, yet Sephiroth still lurks around. Apparently, he is yet to find his light.**

**-author out- **


End file.
